love (abstract noun) (Tezoatlán Mixtec)

In Tezoatlán Mixtec the passage in 1 Cor. 13:4-6 which lists what love is not, reads with a different emphasis because “love” cannot be translated as an abstract noun (see also love (abstract noun) (Lamogai)).

John Williams explains: “[Tezoatlán Mixtec] is like many languages of the world in that it does not have abstract nouns, and so the language requires a translation of love in its verb form. The verb ‘love’ requires a subject, as well as a direct object. Mixtec must state who is loving whom. The translation team at first thought it could be God loving us, but we saw that after saying love is patient, love is kind, the next eight statements say what love is not. So we determined the focus is more on how Christians should love other Christians. Looking at the immediate context of chapter 12 and 14, as well as the context of the rest of the book led us to conclude that 1 Corinthians 13 is not a love poem, but more of a rebuke to the Corinthians, showing how they were not loving one another. This fresh understanding, to me at least, came as a result of Mixtec requiring us to look at the passage through new eyes. If this chapter is read as a rebuke, and since so many verses in the previous chapters have ‘rebuke’ as the focus, when read in Mixtec, the entire book of 1 Corinthians sounds very much like a ‘severe’ letter (see 2 Cor. 2:4).”

This is how the Tezoatlán Mixtec translation reads back-translated into English:

“4 Us loving others is that we inwardly endure what they do, and that we live at peace/kindly with them. Our loving others is not that we envy them, and loving them is not that we boast in front of them, and it is not that we are proud before them, 5 and it is not that we treat them badly, and it is not that we are selfish with them, and it is not that we get angry with them, and it is not that we feel bitterness toward them, 6 and it is not that we are happy when they do wrong, for it is that we instead are happy when they do right.”

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: First Corinthians’ Love Passage .

complete verse (1 Corinthians 13:5)

Following are a number of back-translations of 1 Corinthians 13:5:

  • Uma: “We are not harsh with others, we don’t always seek our own desires, are not easily hot-hearted, don’t hold grudges.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “If we (dual) love our (dual) companions we (dual) respect them/treat-them-according-to-custom, we (dual) don’t always think of ourselves but about our (dual) companions, we (dual) don’t get easily angry, we (dual) also don’t keep a grudge (lit. don’t store in the liver).” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Our customs are not ugly; we do not force our own desires on other people; we don’t become angry easily, but rather, we very easily are able to forgive those who sin against us.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “The person who is loving, his behavior is not rude/improper and neither does he insist on (lit. force) what he wants. He is not easily angered or offended but rather he easily forgets it if someone does wrong to him.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “It is not wild-behaviored, does not think only of its own desires, it is not easily-angered, and it easily/quickly forgives the evil that others do against it.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “And he has respect for his fellow man. He doesn’t seek just his own welfare. Rather he seeks the good of his fellow man. He doesn’t get mad. And he forgives what is done to him.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on 1 Corinthians 13:5

Is not arrogant or rude translates a single Greek verb that in 7.36 was translated “not behaving properly.” The kind of action that is referred to here is not superficial matters of etiquette, but behavior in a wide sense, as Revised Standard Version shows.

Does not insist on its own way is literally “does not seek its own.” In many languages an equivalent of “unselfish” will give a clear meaning. The meaning, though not the words, of Phil 2.4 is quite similar: “let each of you look not only to his own interests.”

Irritable: a related noun is translated “a sharp contention” in Acts 15.39. Another possible translation, then, is “love is not … easily angered and argumentative” or “People who love are not….”

Resentful is literally “keep a record of wrongs” (see Good News Bible). In the New Testament context Good News Bible‘s translation is a good model for other languages to use, unless a particular language has a single verb that equals this meaning. One may expand this: “keep a record of wrongs done by other people.”

Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, 2nd edition. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1985/1994. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .